29 Facts About Godfrey Weitzel

Godfrey Weitzel was a German-American major general in the Union army during the American Civil War.

Gottfreid Godfrey Weitzel was born in Winzeln, near Pirmasens in the Palatinate, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Lewis Godfrey Weitzel operated a grocery store in the Tenth Ward, which included the "Over-the-Rhine" neighborhood with many Germanic immigrants, and became involved in Democratic party politics.

In 1853, Lewis Godfrey Weitzel became a city commissioner and served on the local school board, whose chairman was lawyer and former US Congressman Bellamy Storer.

Storer offered to pay for the boy's college tuition, but then with the help of publisher Heinrich Roedter contacted congressman David Tiernan Disney and managed to secure an appointment to the United States Military Academy, although the process started when Godfrey Weitzel was just 14 and the tall youth arrived in West Point, New York months after his 15th birthday.

Godfrey Weitzel's roommates included Cyrus Comstock, and future Louisiana governor Francis T Nicholls of Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

When Weitzel was a sophomore, Captain Henry Brewerton was replaced as superintendent by Colonel Robert E Lee, who took an interest in the top student, but was reassigned himself in March 1855, shortly before Weitzel's class graduated.

Nonetheless, Godfrey Weitzel graduated 2nd out of 34 cadets in the Class of 1855.

In 1859, Godfrey Weitzel returned to West Point as Assistant Professor of Civil and Military Engineering, working under professor Dennis Mahan.

Godfrey Weitzel was promoted to first lieutenant of engineers in 1860.

Godfrey Weitzel's company served as the bodyguard during the inauguration of US President Abraham Lincoln.

Godfrey Weitzel was then attached to the staff of Major General Benjamin F Butler as chief engineer of the Department of the Gulf.

Godfrey Weitzel was promoted to brigadier general in August 1862 and two months later routed a large force of the enemy at Labadieville, Louisiana, which earned him a brevet promotion to major in the Regular Army.

Godfrey Weitzel was later brevetted lieutenant colonel in the Regular Army, "for gallant and meritorious services at the siege of Port Hudson," which fell on July 9,1863, days after Vicksburg, Mississippi, about 120 miles upriver, the last Confederate stronghold on the great Mississippi, had fallen.

General Godfrey Weitzel assumed command of the XVIII Corps from September 1864 through the end of the year, and was brevetted colonel in the regular army for the capture of Fort Harrison on September 29.

On November 7,1864, Godfrey Weitzel became a major general of volunteers and on December 3 was assigned command of the XXV Corps, consisting of US Colored Troops under white officers.

Godfrey Weitzel soon established his headquarters in the home of Jefferson Davis.

Godfrey Weitzel served as Lincoln's confidential aide and bodyguard during two days of peace negotiations with Confederate representatives.

Godfrey Weitzel, who was a Freemason, was requested by old Masons of the city to protect the Hall, and Godfrey Weitzel granted their request and had sentinels posted so that no harm was done to it.

In New Orleans in 1863, Godfrey Weitzel had said that he didn't believe in "colored troops" and didn't want to command them, but after they had taken Richmond in 1865, in 1866, after the war's end, he reflected on the service of African American soldiers in the Union Army, stating:.

Godfrey Weitzel remained in command of the District of Rio Grande until 1866, when he was mustered out of the volunteer service on March 1.

Godfrey Weitzel reverted to his regular Army rank, but was promoted to major of engineers later that year and to lieutenant colonel in 1882.

Godfrey Weitzel designed it as a timber building in the form of a brown wooden pyramidal tower, complete with a Sixth Order Fresnel lens.

In 1881 Godfrey Weitzel completed the building of a 515-foot lock at the Soo Canal, at that time the largest canal lock in the world, and the next year the Stannard Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior.

Godfrey Weitzel helped design and build the Spectacle Reef Light with Colonel Orlando M Poe.

Godfrey Weitzel lived near the University of Pennsylvania, but toured the city, and the fetid water of the Aramingo Canal about five miles away was blamed.

Godfrey Weitzel died from complication after about a month, on March 19,1884.

Godfrey Weitzel's body was returned to Cincinnati for burial in Spring Grove Cemetery, in his in-laws' plot.

Godfrey Weitzel was survived by his elderly mother, his brother State Senator Lewis Weitzel, and his widow and daughter Irene.